Call for young people to vote

The National Youth Council has urged young people to go out and vote in the forthcoming European Parliament elections and also called for the setting up of a permanent Committee on Youth, Education and Sport in the European Union.

The next European Parliament should have an important role in decision making related to the next Youth Programme, the council said.

It observed that due to the demographic situation of the new member states, the youth population would increase by more than one third.

The council hoped that EU enlargement would not weaken the EU's commitment to Mediterranean initiatives such as the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership.

"The level of support towards these (Mediterranean) countries has to increase in order to develop the political, social and economic life of the southern flank of the Mediterranean. The council would like to see the Maltese MEPs emphasise Malta's role in the Mediterranean process and promote, particularly, the strengthening of the Euromed Youth Programme and Euromed Youth Platform as means of communication," the council said.

It also underlined the need for greater environmental awareness, education and job creation.